


The Strength of a Dragon

by TheSoundDefense



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:06:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22868350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSoundDefense/pseuds/TheSoundDefense
Summary: A thirteen-year-old Iris challenges Drayden for leadership of the Opelucid City Gym, in an emotionally charged battle.
Kudos: 2





	The Strength of a Dragon

The setting sun shone over Opelucid City in the region of Unova, bathing the city in an orange light, but the sunbeams never pierced the hard, stone exterior of the city’s gym. The building had the look of an ancient pyramid, guarded by two large, stone dragons. The battlefield inside the gym had yet more dragon statues inside, lit by a number of lanterns on the walls, having the appearance of a space where an old pharaoh might hold court.

In this case, the role of pharaoh was played by a tall, bearded man with white hair and a matching white shirt, presiding over the gym’s battlefield. Over the past three months, he had been battling in his gym nearly nonstop, taking on challenger after challenger with his powerful Dragon-type Pokémon. Thus far, all of his challengers had left without the prize they sought. Nobody had proven themselves worthy.

This morning had been no different, with four different battles taking place in front of audiences of various sizes. After taking his Pokémon to the nearby Pokémon Center to be healed, however, there had been no additional challengers for the rest of the afternoon, giving him a rare moment of respite. As the time to close the gym came around, he turned away from the battlefield, needing to tend to some things before locking the gym up for the night. As he walked away, he paused for a moment, hearing the sound of soft footsteps coming from behind him, followed by a familiar voice.

“Drayden.”

He turned back around, looking toward the hallway on the other end of the room, as the footsteps grew louder and closer. He watched as the figure of a thirteen-year-old girl emerged from the shadows, immediately recognizing the abundant purple hair, dark skin, and brown eyes.

He folded his arms. “Good to see you again, Iris.”

“You’re looking well.” She stepped further into the room. “When I heard you were retiring as a Gym Leader, I thought I’d find you sickly and weak or something.” Despite cracking a joke, she had no smile on her face.

He stepped closer to her as well. “I thought I would be seeing you earlier than this.”

“It took me some time to get back to Unova,” she responded, stopping at the edge of the battlefield. “I would have gotten here sooner if you had told me yourself. Instead I had to hear it through the Academy grapevine.” Her face was set, trying to look neutral, but it was clear from her voice that she was feeling hurt.

“I told you three years ago that I was considering you as my successor,” Drayden answered, unfazed. “You told me you would think about it, and then I never heard from you again, until now.” He stopped walking, standing at the other edge of the battlefield. “Why did it take my retirement to bring you back here?”

“That’s…” She hesitated. She had ages to prepare for this question, but she still didn’t know how to answer. “I don’t know.”

He was unimpressed. “I think you do know,” he replied, his words sharp. “I think it’s the same reason you came at the end of the day, when no spectators are here to see you.”

Iris could feel her face grow hot from shame, feeling as if Drayden was staring right through her with his oppressive gaze. She had never been comfortable with how easily her old headmaster could read her, but in this moment the discomfort was almost physically painful. She didn’t have to say how terrified she was of disappointing him. He had known since long before she walked through the door.

During the few moments they had spoken, they had automatically taken their positions on opposite ends of the battlefield. Both of them knew exactly what was going to happen. This moment had been inevitable for years.

“Iris,” Drayden called out, his voice quiet but forceful at the same time. “Tell me why you have come back. Tell me why you are here right now.”

She kept her eyes locked on his. She couldn’t show any weakness now.

“I’m here to become the leader of this gym.”

“Very well.” Drayden reached down, grasping a Poké Ball from his hip. “Then show me that you have the strength to take it from me!”

He hurled the ball onto the battlefield, unleashing the energy inside, which took the shape of a five-foot-tall dragon Pokémon. The energy soon solidified, forming a blue dragon covered in red spikes, with sharp, pointed wings and a red head with a powerful jaw.

Iris recognized the Druddigon immediately, having battled against him in the past. She reached to her belt as well, forcefully throwing a Poké Ball of her own into the arena, bringing out a black, mole-like Pokémon with metal claws on its hands, and one on its head. Excadrill’s eyes immediately focused on the foe in front of him, energy coursing through his veins.

“Druddigon! Attack with Dragon Claw!” Drayden called out. His Pokémon roared and dashed forward, claws gleaming, ready to swipe. Iris watched the Pokémon approach, biding her time, not issuing a command until Druddigon was nearly in attack range.

“Excadrill, counter with Metal Claw!” Her Pokémon took a step forward, swinging its large, metallic claws to intercept Druddigon’s claw. They clashed, then clashed again, and again, as both Pokémon kept swinging at each other. Druddigon tried over and over to get a shot in at his opponent’s body, while Excadrill was only concerned with stopping Druddigon’s claws. After a minute of this, Drayden’s Pokémon was sore and in pain, unable to continue with the injuries that had formed on its claws, while Excadrill was fresh as a daisy.

“Now!” Drayden called out. “Dragon Rage!”

“Avoid it with Dig, Excadrill!” Iris responded immediately, almost on instinct. As Druddigon opened his mouth, unleashing a torrent of blue and black energy, Excadrill quickly closed itself up into its drill formation, diving backward into the ground, taking a bit of the Dragon Rage attack directly to his body.

Druddigon looked around warily, waiting for Excadrill to reemerge, which he did almost immediately, coming up directly underneath his foe. Druddigon was launched into the air as Excadrill’s drill-like nose came up right into his torso, doing a fair amount of damage. The dragon Pokémon whirled around as soon as he regained his composure, swinging his glowing blue tail directly into Excadrill’s face. Iris’s Pokémon was caught unaware, taking the full brunt of the attack, which knocked him across the arena.

Iris resisted the urge to call out to Excadrill, her breath catching as he slid across the ground, kicking up dust. She finally breathed again as he got to his feet, sore but still full of energy. He looked back toward Druddigon to see the Pokémon charging at him at a high speed, with his Giga Impact attack.

“Catch him and stop him, Excadrill!” she called out. “Show them who the stronger Pokémon is!”

Her Pokémon nodded, steeling himself and digging his heels in. He reached his claws out as his opponent got close, grabbing Druddigon’s shoulders, and the force of the charge caused them both to slide across the arena. Excadrill’s muscles trembled under the pressure of holding his foe back, but he refused to relent, and after a few seconds they both slowed to a stop, to Drayden’s surprise.

With a mighty cry, Excadrill raised the dragon Pokémon above his head, before swinging him heavily down into the ground. Keeping his grip, Excadrill lifted Druddigon again and tossed him across the arena, where he rolled painfully to a stop.

Iris’s fists clenched, adrenaline pumping through her. “Finish it off with Drill Run!”

As Druddigon got back to his feet, he looked toward his opponent, just in time to see Excadrill zooming toward him, his entire body spinning like a giant drill. The metal point of Excadrill’s head struck Druddigon right in the chest, knocking the air out of him and sending him backward once again. This time, when he finally skidded to a stop on the ground, he didn’t get back up.

Drayden looked toward Iris, who was glaring defiantly back at him, standing up as straight as she could, her heart pounding and her hands trembling lightly. She hoped that if she projected enough strength and fearlessness, she would start to feel those things herself.

“A good start, but this battle is only just beginning,” he spoke, his voice as calm as it ever was. He summoned Druddigon back to his Poké Ball, reaching for another and throwing it into the ring. “Your opponent’s weakened, Flygon!”

Iris watched as the Poké Ball landed and ejected what looked like an enormous green dragonfly, with rounded features and a long striped tail. His diamond wings beat quickly and repeatedly, keeping him afloat. Iris quickly weighed the pros and cons of switching out her Pokémon, before deciding to keep Excadrill in. She knew Flygon was a Ground/Dragon-type Pokémon, and even though it could fly, the meat of the battle was going to be happening close to the ground. She would use Excadrill to press her advantage as much as she could.

“Excadrill, Focus Blast!” she called out. Her Pokémon responded quickly, holding his claws out, forming a blue ball of energy between them. Once it was large enough, he grabbed it and flung it across the arena at Flygon; the flying Pokémon quickly dodged out of the way, its movements lightning quick.

“Keep at it!” Iris continued; she knew that the Focus Blasts would keep Flygon from launching any long-distance attacks, forcing it to come in close. Excadrill continued to fling energy blasts toward his foe, and after several near misses, Flygon started coming in closer, charging.

Iris suppressed a grin, seeing the battle go according to plan, filling her with energy. She watched as Flygon grew closer and closer, coming into attack range, before calling out again. “Fury Swipes! Swat that bug out of the air!” Excadrill reared one arm back, ready to start swiping away, when Drayden forcefully issued his own command.

“Flygon! Supersonic!”

The flying Pokémon stopped charging in an instant, letting out a powerful and disorienting screech directly into Excadrill’s face. Iris’s Pokémon was pained and startled by the sudden sound, swinging wildly into the air reflexively, but hitting nothing. Flygon responded by flying up over Excadrill, getting behind him as his tail started to glow blue; it quickly spun around, swinging the large tail into the back of his foe’s head.

Iris watched as Excadrill got knocked away for the second time in this battle, worried, not sure how much more punishment her Pokémon could take. Her eyes snapped back to Flygon, watching as his whole body was surrounded with a blue aura, one she recognized as Dragon Rush.

“Excadrill, use Mud Slap, quick!” She could hear the panic in her own voice as she said it, and she knew Drayden could hear it, too.

Her Pokémon was dazed but obedient, turning and slamming its claw into the ground, digging up dirt and flinging it in Flygon’s direction. Drayden’s Pokémon was far too agile to be hit, however, and avoiding every bit of dirt and mud, he struck Excadrill directly under his jaw with the force of a truck. Iris could only watch helplessly as her Pokémon was knocked onto his back, hopelessly dazed and unable to continue.

She felt her heart sink, angry at herself for her decision. She’d made absolutely no progress on Flygon, and was now down one Pokémon; her brief advantage had been totally squandered, and she was on even ground with Drayden once again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, needing to keep her cool if she was going to win this match.

“Return, Excadrill,” she spoke as she brought her Pokémon back to its ball, trying to keep her voice emotionless. She had gained an advantage once already in this battle, and she could do it again. This time, it would be in the air.

“Altaria, let’s go!” she called out, throwing another Poké Ball into the ring. The Pokémon that emerged was a large blue bird, with its body surrounded by what looked like a giant ball of white cotton. Altaria and Flygon locked eyes, ready for the battle to resume; Iris quickly spoke up, ready to make the first move once again.

“Use Mist! Cover the ground!”

Altaria cawed, opening her mouth and issuing a cloud of icy mist, one that quickly spread and covered the battlefield, up to a height of about seven feet. Both Pokémon disappeared in the cloud, but both trainers could hear them flying around, each trying to find the other. Iris was confident, knowing that Flygon would have more trouble flying through ice than Altaria would.

Fifteen seconds later, they heard a loud squabbling from close to Iris’s side of the battlefield. They watched as Altaria flew upward out of the mist, Flygon’s body gripped tightly in her claws. She pecked at her opponent’s body repeatedly, as Flygon desperately tried to escape.

“Flygon, use Supersonic again!” Drayden called out.

“Throw him away, Altaria!” Iris responded, not about to see Excadrill’s fate befall this Pokémon as well. Altaria spun around quickly, making it difficult for Flygon to aim his Supersonic, and flung the Pokémon back down toward the ground. Flygon managed to right itself before crashing, flying back upward toward the ceiling, where Altaria was waiting.

Iris exhaled, feeling good about the battle so far. Not only had she managed to do some damage, but the Mist attack had forced Flygon up into the air, where it had fewer attack options. Now she had to prevent herself from becoming overconfident.

Drayden was unflappable, as he always was. “You’re the stronger Pokémon, Flygon! Use Dragon Breath!”

Flygon reared back its head before extending it, a mass of blue and black energy shooting out of its mouth. Altaria flew lower to avoid it, closer to the mist.

“Dragon Dance, Altaria!” Iris commanded. Her Pokémon cried out and began to fly in circles, as a blue aura enveloped her, increasing her strength. Once Altaria had powered up, Iris looked upward, her eyes widening as she saw Flygon finishing a Dragon Dance of its own. Both Pokémon would be battling at the peak of their strength.

Altaria flew back upward, directly at Flygon, and the two started to clash repeatedly, with amazing force. Altaria delivered blow after blow with Steel Wing and Sky Attack, while Flygon responded with Fly and Dragon Tail. Each successful attack wore the combatants down more and more, but neither of them slowed their attacks, wanting to give their all for their trainers.

After one such clash, Flygon cried out in pain, hanging in the air for a moment, needing to recover. Altaria turned around and looked back at her opponent from a distance, breathing heavily. Iris’s eyes lit up, seeing her opportunity.

“Now’s our chance!” she called out, letting herself get excited. “Finish it with Moonblast!”

Her Pokémon cawed, opening her mouth and charging a ball of pink energy. Just as it was ready to be launched, Drayden’s voice rang out.

“Flygon, Sandstorm!”

Flygon began flapping his wings even harder, turning toward Altaria as quickly as it could, forming a small tornado of sand and flinging it at its opponent. Altaria, still preparing the Moonblast, didn’t have time to look away, taking the Sandstorm attack head-on. She cried out in pain, launching the Moonblast in Flygon’s general direction; it flew right past, bursting against the wall of the arena.

“No!” Iris cried out. “Altaria, get moving! Don’t stay still!” Her Pokémon began flying around in small but quick circles, still unable to see properly, but needing to not get caught. Flygon, however, had no trouble tracking his foe, zooming down and slamming heavily into Altaria’s body. Iris gasped as both Pokémon zoomed downward, disappearing into the icy mist, hearing the impact as Flygon launched his opponent into the ground with a powerful Earth Power attack.

The crash was powerful enough to blow away the mist that covered the ground, the cold air blowing past both Iris and Drayden as it was dispelled. Flygon flew back upward, catching his breath, as Altaria came back into view. She had hit the ground so hard that she was partially buried in the dirt, the ground cracked around her. There was no recovering from such a brutal assault.

Iris could do nothing but stare at her defeated Altaria, her heart dropping and her body feeling cold. She had quickly gone from being ahead to falling behind, and she felt as if she was buried in a hole just like her Pokémon. The thought of her losing, of being a disappointment to Drayden once again, was starting to overwhelm her, taking over her mind. She could feel the world closing in around her, as she tried to catch her breath.

“You’re hesitating,” Drayden called out. “You’re acting as if you’ve already lost. Are you going to let fear overtake you, Iris?” She tore her eyes away from Altaria, looking back at him, feeling as if she was shrinking under his piercing gaze.

“If you surrender now, there will be no second chances,” he warned sternly. “This is your one and only opportunity. I can’t announce another retirement, to pull you out of the woodwork a second time.”

Iris blinked, his words sinking in, eyes widening and breath catching as the full meaning of what he just said hit her. “You… you did that, just to…”

“What will you do, Iris?” he bellowed, his voice stronger and more powerful than she could remember. “Will you turn tail and run? Or will you show me the strength of a dragon?!”

She kept her eyes fixed on his, her heart pounding and her mind racing. His words were resonating deep within her, as the emotional weight of this moment bore down on her. She eventually closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out, grabbing Altaria’s Poké Ball.

“Altaria, return,” she spoke quietly, bringing her Pokémon back; her voice was shaking, but she was forcing herself to be calm, as best she could. There was only one road forward, and she was going to push herself down it, fighting for every step. She reached for her final Poké Ball, throwing it onto the battlefield.

“Go, Dragonite! Let’s win this!”

Out of her Poké Ball came a seven-foot, heavyset, bright orange dragon. He looked up, quickly finding his foe flying overhead, looking sore and tired. Dragonite glared at it, seeing weakness in Flygon’s expression and sensing his trainer’s will to succeed.

“Use your speed, Flygon!” Drayden called out. “Do some damage with Dragon Rush!” His Pokémon clearly didn’t have many impacts left in him; Drayden was hoping to do what damage he could before Flygon’s defeat. Iris set her gaze, not interested in giving her opponent an inch.

“Get in the air and avoid it!” she called out. Dragonite began flapping its wings, rising off the ground as Flygon rushed at him. He quickly dodged out of the way, to Drayden’s surprise, being much more agile than his size would suggest.

“Slow him down with Ice Beam!” Iris followed up, her confidence starting to return to her. Dragonite whirled around to face his opponent, opening his mouth and firing an icy blue beam directly at Flygon. The attack connected easily, as Drayden’s Pokémon was too injured to dodge, and the icy blast covered his body and wings with ice. He flapped more slowly, starting to fall to the ground.

“Now finish it! Thunder Punch!”

Flygon kept struggling to fly, barely able to move due to the ice freezing him in place. He looked back at Dragonite just in time to see him rushing in, his fist crackling with electricity as it slammed into Flygon’s body from above. The Pokémon rocketed back down to the ground, landing in the same hole that Altaria had made just minutes ago. Both trainers watched as it struggled to get back up, eventually slumping back down, defeated.

Drayden and Iris’s eyes met once again. Iris was no longer trying to project strength she didn’t have; her determination and her fear shone through together. There was a burning fire in her soul now, a will to fight that could not be quashed. This battle was far from over.

“The dragon inside you has awakened, Iris,” Drayden commented, the tiniest hint of pride in his voice as he grabbed his final Poké Ball. “Now, finish this! Come at me with all your strength!”

He threw the Poké Ball forward onto the battlefield, his final Pokémon emerging. The beast that appeared was covered almost entirely in gold armor, with metallic red blades attached to its jaw. He roared loudly as he entered the arena, staring down Iris’s Pokémon. Dragonite glared back, unfazed, as he landed on the ground again; he had seen this Haxorus before, and was ready to battle with all of his might.

“Haxorus! Hyper Beam!” Drayden called out. His Pokémon opened his mouth, charging up a large ball of yellow energy.

Iris was unfazed. “Dragonite, respond with a Hyper Beam of your own!”

Dragonite nodded, beginning to charge up his own blast, his gaze locked on Haxorus. Several seconds later, both of them unleashed their Hyper Beams at the same time, the two blasts colliding and exploding in the center of the arena. Dirt, air and dust were blown all over, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. When Haxorus looked back, he saw Dragonite rushing toward him, fist reared back, ready to strike. Haxorus roared, swinging his armored fist as well; both attacks landed squarely on their opponents’ bodies. From there, the battle descended into what could only be described as a bare-knuckle brawl.

Both Pokémon clashed over and over, as their trainers issued one command after another, both of them entering a state of focus they had not yet achieved. Dragonite would swing forward with a Thunder Punch into his foe’s gut; Haxorus would respond with a Dragon Tail to Dragonite’s side. As Dragonite spit out a Flamethrower attack, Haxorus answered with Dragon Breath. Both Pokémon were slowly being beaten down, but neither one of them seemed to lose strength; it was as if they were drawing energy from their respective trainers, who were both battling as if their lives depended on it.

As the battle continued on, Iris’s voice grew louder and more forceful with each command. Her nerves were quickly fading, and she could see victory within her grasp, almost able to feel each blow that Dragonite gave and received. Drayden watched her as she commanded her Dragonite, able to see a fire in her eyes that he hadn’t seen since she entered the gym. For the first time, he started to consider the possibility that he might lose.

Several minutes later, Dragonite was skidding backward after a strong body blow, coming to a rest on one hand and one knee. Haxorus was on both feet, but it looked as if it might topple over with the slightest assault. Both trainers knew this battle was about to reach its conclusion.

“Haxorus!” Drayden called out. “Put all of your strength into this final assault! Giga Impact!” His Pokémon roared and launched himself forward, with purple and yellow energy swirling around him. Iris felt her heart thudding once again, but she pushed her worry deep down inside her. There was no backing down now.

“You can beat him, Dragonite!” she called out. “Finish him with Dragon Rush!” Her Pokémon snorted, flapping his wings and lifting off the ground before shooting forward, a blue aura surrounding him as he rushed toward the oncoming Haxorus. The two Pokémon collided in the center of the arena, the force of their impact sending a shockwave through the air, blowing back Iris’s hair.

When the energy cleared away, both Pokémon were lying flat on their stomachs, groaning in pain, several feet apart. Both trainers watched with bated breath, not sure if either one was able to move. After all of the energy and the emotions, the battle may have ended in a draw.

Iris gasped as she saw Dragonite stir, starting to push himself up with his arms. She was wracked with an anxious nervousness as she watched him trying to get up, not even daring to breathe. Seconds later, Haxorus started moving as well, getting one leg underneath him, trying to return to a standing position.

Both Drayden and Iris watched, silent, as their Pokémon struggled to get up, neither one wanting to disappoint their trainers. Dragonite moved one leg underneath his body, trying to push himself up, as Haxorus managed to get himself into an unsteady standing position, his legs shaking with exhaustion. Everyone’s eyes moved to Dragonite as he tried to bring his other leg up, attempting to stand. After several seconds that felt like minutes, the effort proved to be too much, and he collapsed to the ground, completely spent.

Iris’s breathing trembled as she watched Dragonite collapse, as if it were happening in slow motion. She could feel the strength leaving her body as well, stolen away by the gravity of her defeat, and she felt her face burning with humiliation. After giving the battle everything she had, after baring her soul, she had nothing to show for it. Worse than disappointing Drayden, she felt as if she had failed him, as if she had betrayed the trust he had placed in her.

Both trainers walked forward onto the battlefield, toward their Pokémon. Drayden quietly congratulated Haxorus on a battle well fought, before returning him to his Poké Ball. Iris walked forward on trembling legs, kneeling next to Dragonite, resting her hand on his back.

“You were incredible, Dragonite,” she spoke quietly, her hand rubbing his back comfortingly. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.” She heard Drayden walking closer, stopping right in front of her.

“You’ve become a powerful trainer, Iris,” he offered, in the same flat tone of voice he always used. “But you came up short, by mere inches. An unfortunate ending.” Iris nodded, reaching for Dragonite’s Poké Ball and quietly returning her defeated Pokémon.

“You had better get your Pokémon healed, Drayden.” She stood fully and looked up at him, determination shining through the tears of shame that had formed in her eyes. “I’m going to be back here tomorrow. And the next day, and the day after that, as many times as it takes.”

“Hmph.” He folded his arms, looking back at her. “Don’t bother. You’ll be wasting your time.”

“Excuse me?!” she shot back, her voice raising in anger.

“I said, you’ll be wasting your time,” he reiterated. “I won’t be here to battle tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that.” He lowered his arms. “This isn’t my gym anymore.”

“It… what?” Iris’s eyes widened, her anger faltering in an instant. “Drayden…”

“Iris, you’ve always had the instinct, and you’ve clearly acquired the skill,” he continued. “But you’ve always been anxious and scared in the face of failure. I needed you to face that fear tonight, head on. I asked you to show me the strength of a dragon, and that’s what you did.”

She continued looking up at him, in both silence and disbelief, as he went on. “Truth be told, you were the only person I ever considered to take over this gym. Of everyone who passed through my academy, you were the one who had the skill and the determination to hold trainers to the standard this gym requires. If you had failed this last test, I’m not sure what I would have done.” He extended his hand toward her, ignoring the shock plastered on her face. “I’m glad to know I’ll be leaving this gym in good hands.”

She reached out her hand to meet his, dumbstruck, her grip weak as they shook hands. As the weight of his words sunk in, her tears of shame were replaced by tears of gratitude, and she quickly stepped forward and threw her arms around him, taking him by surprise.

“I promise I won’t let you down, Drayden,” she spoke quietly, holding him tightly, her voice breaking a bit.

He exhaled, reaching down and rubbing her head gently. It was impossible to tell from the thick beard, but a rare smile was crossing his face. “I know you won’t, Iris.” The two of them stood together for a few moments longer, sharing a quiet moment of comfort, after one of the most trying battles of their lives.


End file.
